It's a fact of life but one we don't like to talk about: Sooner or later someone will have an accident at work. If it happens on your worksite, would you know what to do? There are four critical steps to incident response. They are:

1. Take care of yourself and others;
2. Take care of the injured persons;
3. Protect the environment; and
4. Do the paperwork.

Today, let's look at steps one and two.

Step 1: Take Care of Yourself

Who's the most important person on the accident scene? Why it's you, of course! And it's important that you don't fall victim, too. When you first approach the accident scene, make an assessment. Ask yourself:

• Is it safe to approach?
• Is there anything that can hurt me?

You should:

• Be on the lookout for traffic hazards or downed electrical wires;
• Approach the scene from the upwind side, if there are chemicals in the area;
• Put on your gloves to protect you from blood or bodily fluids (see the section below); and
• Keep bystanders away from the scene.

Step 2: Take Care of the Injured

Taking care of the injured involves giving any necessary first aid and, if necessary, calling 9-1-1 for additional assistance. But remember that 9-1-1 still does not work in all areas. Some companies may want you to dial a special security/emergency number, such as 555 or 333. Be sure you know the emergency number in your location.

When giving first aid, treat the priority cases first. This means:

• Check the breathing;
• Stop the bleeding;
• Treat for poisons; and
• Treat for shock.

If you don't know how to do any of these tasks, sign up for a first aid/CPR course in your neighborhood.

Check the Breathing

• If someone is not breathing, you will need to do mouth-to-mouth. You should have a pocket mask to prevent the possible spread of infection.
• If someone suddenly collapses near you, you will want to do "Hands Only CPR." (See the American Heart Association's site: http://handsonlycpr.eisenberginc.com/ for more information. The site also has a couple of videos that demonstrate how to perform "Hands Only CPR.")
• If there is an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) use it! (Learn how to use it before you need to - not during the emergency.)

Stop the Bleeding

• Use Universal Precautions: Put a barrier between yourself and the blood by using disposable gloves or plastic bag. If you do contact another person's blood or bodily fluids, wash with soap and cool water as soon as possible and tell your supervisor.
• For severe bleeding, IF (and ONLY IF) there are no broken bones, then apply direct pressure on the wound and elevate the wound a few inches. If there are broken bones, then just apply pressure using a sterile gauze pad. If sterile gauze pads are not available, use the cleanest cloth that you have available.

Treat for Poisons

Treat for poisons on the body by washing with water for at least 15 minutes or as the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) indicates.

If someone ingests (eats) a poisonous substance and is conscious, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 and follow their instructions. This is a national number that can be dialed from anywhere in the US. (Editor's Note: Canada doesn't have a national number; the Provincial Poison Control Centre numbers are listed in the article below.) If the victim is unconscious, treat him for shock and call the Poison Control Center.

Treat for Shock

To treat a person for shock, keep the injured person lying down and maintain his body temperature. You can maintain body temperature by placing some type of covering either on top of them, under them or both depending upon the air temperature.

Conclusion

Taking care of yourself and the injured party are the first two steps in incident response. Next week, we'll look at what's involved in protecting the environment and completing the paperwork.

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